The major aims of the proposed research are to determine the effects of chronic alcohol treatment on poly(a) tract sizes of mouse liver poly (A plus) hnRNA and poly (A plus) mRNA, and the activity of poly (A) polymerase. The effect of different poly (A) tract sizes on the stability of poly (A plus) mRNA will also be determined. The poly (A) tract sizes of liver poly (A plus) hnRNA and poly (A plus) mRNA will be measured by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. If an alcohol induced change in poly (A) tract size is observed, the poly (A) polymerase activity will be measured. Poly (A) polymerase will be isolated from either nuclei or cytoplasm using DEAE-Sephadex, phosphocellulose, hydroxylapatite and QAE-Sephadex chromatography. Poly (A plus) mRNA extracted from membrane bound and free polyribosomes will be microinjected into X. laevis stage 6 oocytes and the expression of labeled mouse lever proteins after various periods of incubation will be measured by radioimmunoassay and 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The successful accomplishment of the above mentioned research goals will prove useful in understanding how alcoholism changes both the morphology and the physiology of the liver. The research would prove helpful in determining whether a particular treatment for alcoholism is accomplishing its desired effects.